10 Signs of a Great Leader

Being an effective leader, means continually learning, being self-aware, having emotional control, listening, setting goals, giving opportunities to practice, reflecting, revising, empowering, and providing resources.

Go to the people. Learn from them. Live with them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. The best of leaders when the job is done, when the task is accomplished, the people will say we have done it ourselves. (Lao Tzu)

Leading is an intricate task with moving parts that only becomes perfected when the right skills are acquired and developed through opportunity, practice, and revision.

1. Learn

Leaders know that learning never ends. Whether it be new industry information or building relationships with other team members, leaders are continually absorbing.

2. Be Self-Aware

Leaders not only need to understand how they tick, but they need to recognize that everyone likes to learn and create differently. In most cases, there is more than one way to look at and achieve an end result. Leaders do not impose their methods, but listen to the team and foster their creativity.

3. Use Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence is no longer a "buz word," as it factors into ever facet of life. Understanding emotions and knowing when and how to use them is pivotal in every interaction.

4. Listen

Effective leaders do not impose their way of doing things on others, but instead listen and facilitate differing ways of accomplishing tasks.

5. Set Goals

Setting goals is the fist step to accomplishing goals. But effective goals need to be attainable, specific, and measurable.

6. Practice

New learning is awesome, but it needs to be practiced with the knowledge that with practice comes reflection and revision. For best results, practice should come after watching and with guidance.

7. Reflect

Be excited about the parts that went right. In fact, celebrate them. Be proud of your accomplishments, but recognize the areas that you need to continue to work on and do so.

8. Revise

If your new learning did not translate perfectly into the work setting, revise and try again. I bet it will only improve. Keep moving forward.

9. Empower

Effective leaders lead through speaking with, guiding, encouraging and showing. They inspire others with their leadership.

10. Obtain Resources

Resources for learning and leading need to be continually readily available. Sometimes it is further reading. Other times, it is with materials. In some cases, it is a mentor. Even further, it could be through workshops.

Keep Learning and Leading!

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